Colors come and go. There are institutions that tell car makers what colors will be popular over the next few years…

In the 70s, Porsche embraced citrus and earth colors. Ironically, in the 80s, these colors fell out of fashion and many of the “period” colors were painted over with black, red or gray. So original oranges, greens, yellows and aubergines are prized.

Here is a paint swatch array of 911 color options from 1973.

Some of these colors (and others which were rarer optional colors) add value to our cars. Some add enormous value. My guess is that Gulf Blue adds 30-35% to a 73 911, while (at the moment) Sepia and Bahia Red subtract 10% or so. Color is of course, subjective, and we are talking about individual cars and individual owners, not “markets.” But I have clients who want specific colors and understand that in order to buy – as and if I find the car – they will have to pay a significant premium. This is largely thanks to the Internet giving voice to every armchair Porsche marketer (like me!). 070716